Dear Cherished Interested’s,                                                                                                     December 4th, 2023

Yesterday, we woke up in a different house.  We got up and going late.  We drove up the Mountain and did Sunday school with the Littles and then worship with the Mama’s. 

The youngest Mama stood and read the message for the rest in Swahili after each Mama picked a song and we sang them.  This, as usual, where they are preparing food for lots of precious stomachs. 

We then drove down off the mountain after finding and collecting one of Hilda’s cats.  Hilda went up and looked again today for the Tomcat but nope.  She won’t give up, Mulala neighbors see him at night but not when Hilda gets a chance to go by.

The Sunday before, Hilda spent the day going to two different Confirmations without me.  I took care of The Children’s village by myself and then went home to study.  Well crash first. 

The biggest difference between the two Sundays is that we now have a house just barely outside the wall of the college, down off the mountain.  College security knows where we are and watches the house.  We have running cold water in every sink and even the toilet, shower too. 

Bedrooms are bigger.  Truck is parked.  I walk to chapel and classes.  The rent is half of what it was up on the mountain.  Mchungaji Daktari Justin Mungure of the Cathedral in Usa, who I’ve preached for several times, approached his uncle and bargained our rent for us insisting that we are missionaries and not high dollar world travelers. 

Local people who love us are trying very hard to help us save resources so we can afford to stay and, God willing, my old brain can find an education. 

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I spent an eye-blink amount of time serving at the Maasai Girls Lutheran Secondary School in Monduli Tanzania in 2004 and again in 2005.  That school teaches Maasai daughters in an English medium environment.  Daughters of an extremely patriarchal and nomadically pastoral culture. 

You will not believe this.

Two of my professors are Maasai women who attended that very school.  They are beyond brilliant and hard working.  One calls me Baba in front of her students.  She called me a prophet today as I was presenting with a group of classmates about deuteronomic history and the books of Joshua, Judges, 1&2 Kings and Samuel and Ruth.  I stood there shaking after being called that.

Later she returned to Baba and told the class not to call me a prophet because ..  well..  I don’t want to die.. not really.. not yet anyway.

Three hours of presentation and question and answer.  My fellows of the group did not understand my introduction as it was not like the example they were given so they tried to rewrite it before I gave it.  I put my foot down and gave my intro.  After the presentation they apologized and were hurriedly changing the printed copy for Professor back to what I had written.  And they were doing it happily.

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I am still not on the computer system.  “Kisa” is working on the problem.  She is the information system guru for the university.  I went to see her and she called up the chain rattling cages and answering questions about what is possible and what is not and told me to come back tomorrow afternoon. 

Higher-ups must higher-up apparently, but she has given them a deadline now.

That conversation was like at least half the conversations here.  Rapid fire ki-swahili that leaves me lost still.  As I talk with my professors I ask them to shift to and stay in Swahili for the benefit of literally ALL the other students.  I am happy to be a challenge for them to learn more English fluency but not at the expense of Theological or other content.  This is year one.

What is fun though is when one of the grounds-keepers or janitorial staff or secretaries sees me they greet me in Meru.  I greet them in Meru in return and the students who aren’t Meru but from elsewhere in the country, most – almost all, are floored that Babu who struggles with Swahili can talk with the worker bees, greeting in passing, like he is one of them. 

It still elicits laughter.  That is so much better than fear or hate.

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Pray for my brain.  Pray for my information gathering style as it is like being blindfolded and spun twice each minute.  Locked out of the information system, over a month late starting, classes at least in part in a different language.  Not even a map of campus.

One professor has taken me to his office twice now to talk about a relationship with God, how to hear, how to know, how to give.  He can talk with me about his coursework too because it is technology that I have been blessed to be around but most here have only seen drawings.  But his hunger is God.  Deep hunger, deep wanting.

Pray I be a decent John the Baptist and keep pointing to Jesus.  That is who he wants and needs.

This professor is another hard working one trying desperately to change an educational paradigm set in presumptions that cannot see or understand the technology he is tasked to teach.

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Yes, it is still raining.  But, I do not have to drive an ever changing mountain track anymore to get to school.  Just get up an hour and a half later now and walk. 

Your prayers do that..  Thank you

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Yes please … Keep praying for those we have lost to their self-righteousness..  those we have lost to their lying and now hiding..  Love doesn’t stop but trust does..  Forgiveness we can give but it is best if it is asked for ..

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Relationships here on the ground in addition to my imperfections and mistakes are being used to try to drive us away from our striving.  Each day is a sincere struggle.  Hopefully that means we’re on the right track.  Please pray for those around us.  Please pray for the local faces which fearlessly now smile and greet us as we walk.  

Please keep crumpling us up and throwing us at God.  That is where we need to be.  God will sort us out.

One day at a time.  Just like how you each live.  Just one day at a time. 

Thank you, each of you.

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What to Pray for:

Our armed forces families, our leadership, our people, whole world round, all of Gods kids -

All the tough and blessing expressed above –

The love of folks –

Whatever is on your hearts and minds for us –

For our children and grand-children who miss us.. 

For Makumira Secondary School looking to share stories and partner in some way with a foreign school, Great leaders, teachers, students, programs, strong backs, minds, and hearts –

For our health to stay ahead of whatever is before us –

For those who have braved the donate button to discover Kajun Crofton, our daughter who helps getting each one of your donations to us and every blogpost to where you can read it -

For each and every one of you –

Each and every one of your prayers, your precious conversations with God –

Prayers, Your Prayer, Even your groaning prayers makes all the difference..

Vern W

May life be as Music to your Heart – May Music be as Heart to your Life – May Heart be as Life to your Music